Stranded 2

Brothers To The End

[Scavengers POV]

The Scavenger Team floated into the Montana's docking bay as the door locked behind them. "so wheres this Engineering deck were looking for, Belmont?" Carter asked as he looked around the dimmly lit bay. Preyt nudged Carters arm and pointed at a large pile of metal boxes "We could just try to find some spare parts over there," Gage then began floating over to a larger door with a sign labeled maintenance/Engineering ", or there." Preyt finished quickly floating to the door as Carter laughed at his idiocy. The team carefully walked down the corridor, minding the shadows and corners, searching for a single sign of life "Bodies are still here." Carter said pointing his rifle at a dead soldier leaning against a wall. "That means the infection isnt as bad here as it is on the Klot keep your eyes and ears up, last thing we need is another causality." Gage commanded.  The men contunued walking through the bloodied corridors until they walked into a large light blue room. "Oh fuck...." Gage said as he and the rest of the scavengers walked in front of a large metal plated ball, coursing with blue eletric pulses. "...Preyt. go get the ACB ready, Me and Carter will contain the core aNd round up extra supplies then weld it shut when you bring it back." Preyt nodded his head as Gage tossed him half of his ammo and exitted the room leaving Carter and Gage alone.

The two men stood there in silence with their hands hanging by their sides staring at the pulsating core. "So I guess this is it huh?" Carter asked not removing his eyes from the machine. "Yeah... this is it." Gage responded also sharing the view. Carters expression then dimmed. "Belmont uh.... I need you to promise me something," Gage glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. ", if I dont make it.... you'll get them home right?" "We'll get them home Carter.... you and me." Carter glanced away from both Gage and the core. "Yeah but-....I mean If I dont-........ I helped get us this far.... and thats close enough for all this to count... right?" Carter glanced over at Gage who was staring back at him in confusion "Count for what?" "For-.." Carter then sighed to relax "I dont know just-..... all the bad ive done." Gages expression changed from confused to shocked. "Ah shutup Carter, youre a good man." Gage attempted to assure him as they both looked back at the core. "I got my entire team killed..... I feel like my wife is mentally scarred now....  and its all my fault.......Gage, If I didnt volunteer they would still be alive, every last one of them... I got them killed... is that what a good man does?" Carter asked turning his view towards Gage. Gage paused not removing his gaze from the machine, the blue light reflecting off his armor. "Good men always mean well..." Gage started, staring at the ground as if he was being pulled into the past, then looked up at Carter "... they just always dont end up doing well..." Carter let out a small chuckle of acceptance. They stood theyre staring at their ticket home. "Yeah...." Carter whispered under his breathe "...Hey.." Carter said looking at Gage. "... im sorry about all this, man." Gage nodded slowly letting out a sigh. "Me to Nick........ me to."

Preyt flew outside of the ships window and contacted them over the comms as he slowly pulled the large container  "guys, Box is ready lets go." Gage looked at Carter "No turning back now, right?" "Lets go fix that ship." Carter said as they began unlocking the cores tethers. As Gage and Carter unhooked the tethers, Gage noticed Preyts armor modified for orbital drop. "John, whered you get the armor." Gage asked "there should be a armor engineering locker down that way" Carter said pointing down the hallway "alright Carter go get your suit fixed and meet up with Preyt outside, ill handle the rest" "You sure?" Carter asked "im sure man, Preyts gonna need a hand activating the locks for the ACB." Carter nodded his head and began running down the hall

Carter ran down the hall and back through to the cargo bay and  within minutes was floating outside of the Montana next to Preyt. "Alright, here we go" Gage said as he lifted the core from its socket. As several wires disconnected the yellow warning lights flashed on and the same earpeircing alarm that rung in the Klot was here as well. "[Core Error 4010-0207] [EMERGENCEY OXYGEN ADMINISTERING] [Mines deployed] [Engine Failure] [Sending Emergency SOS] [SOS Failed]" the Montanas automated voice rang loudly over the ships PA system. "Aw fuck me." Gage said as he carefully placed the core into the transfer port  along with several boxes of other important peices of scrap. "Alright we got what we need time to go home, Belmont get out here so I can release the clamps." Preyt said looking back towards the Klot "Hey Jessie we got the.... Jessie? Son of a bitch im not getting connection." Carter called over his COMM. "Carter try to  establish a connection with the Klots Command Bridge that should be more cl-" A large rumble caused Gage to stumble almost falling onto the floor. "[Hull Breached Please Evacuate]" The automated voice rang.

"What the hell was that?" Gage yelled as another rumble from the ship caused him to stumble. "[Engine Error/Overheating, Please Evacuate The Ship Immediatley]" "Belmont the mines are targeting heat sources in the Montana, get out of there, The ship cant handle anymore abuse!" Carter yelled as Gage looked around frantically for a way out. "Shoot the window out!" "It wont work the glass is saftey proof. Nothing can break that shit." Carter yelled "Preyt dont release the clamps yet! If im not out there within the next minute go without me!" Gage said as he welded the ACB shut, securing the core. "Carter wheres the A.E.L. MY SUIT WONT BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE blast!?" Carter hesitated until a closer blast threw Gage onto the floor. "Carter!?!" "DOWN THAT WAY!" Carter said pointing towards the hallway he ran down earlier. Gage didnt heasitate and sprinted down the hall.

As he ran an explosion went off throwing him into a glass window causing it to splinter, and atmosphere to leak out  "[Hull Breach, Gravity Offline]" Gage floated in the hallway spinning helplessley with debris and trash, trying to rebalance himself. "[Gravity Engaged]" The automated voice said as Gage was dropped violentley to the floor with a loud crack "Fuck!" Gage screamed in pain as he grabbed his ribs. Gage gasped frantically for breathe as he quickly scrambled to his feet holding his side and weakly ran past the hallways windows which were splintering and cracking due to pressure fluxes. Another explosion tossed him into the wall and caused fire to erupt from pipes as he continued to run for his life. Gage then saw the A.E.L. and he quickly began attaching the modifications as debris and flame surrounded him. Gage took a deep breathe and held it in as he removed his helmet and began attaching the modifications to it.

"Cmon, Cmon." he coughed Just as he finished The wall behind him ripped apart as a mine detonated. Everything in the room was being sucked out into the void of space and Gage was clinging onto the A.E.L. station as he desperatley reached for his only supply of oxygen, his helmet. He was running out of oxygen and his vision began to blur as he felt lightheaded. The helmet, stuck on the A.E.L. station out of pure luck, rattled violentley just before it was vacuumed into space. Gage, without thinking or hesitation, let go of the A.E.L. station and let himself get sucked into space, desperatley reaching out to grab his helmet before he died. His life was flashing before his eyes and his vision was so blurred he could hardly see until he luckily snatched the helmet with two fingers  and placed it on his head. Gage gasped painfully letting oxygen populate his lungs as he took deep long breathes as he  helpssley spun and twirled in space until activating his thrusters to stop the spin. "-Lmont!, -Elmont! Belmont Cmon man we cant stay here or were fucking dead!" Carter yelled to him as several explosions surrounded the ship causing ship debris to shoot violentley into space. Gage quIckly floated to the ACB which was luckily close to the hole Gage was vaccumed from. "Everyone, hold on tight once he releases the clamps its gonna blow us clear of the Montana!" Gage yelled as he signalled Preyt to release the clamps.

Just as he did, the Montanas hull exploded sending the Scavengers flying through space barely holding onto the ACB. "Oh Shiiiiiit!" Gage screamed over the muffled noise of debris shooting past him as he slipped off and uncontrollably hurdled violently between the explosion and the speeding  ACB. Gage instantly activated his thrusters to escape the flames of the explosion, which gave him even more speed to catch the ACB, which was being violentley ricocheted around in debris. "We can't slow it down!" Carter yelled over the COMMs as he barely hung on to the ACB with Preyt. "Try to steer towards me! I can almost reach you!" Gage yelled back as he slowly exited the wave of fire chasing them. "Woah mines! Mines!" Carter panicked as him and Preyt used their thrusters to  weakly steer the box around several mines, Gage several feet behind them. The scavengers dodged and manuvered viciously around debris almost colliding with a few. "Belmoonte!? Where are you!?" Carter yelled as they bounced off debris "I'm coming! Just hang on!" Gage was now close enough he could almost grab the ACB. Gage reached out desperatley then looked up at a massive peice of the Montana intercepting their trajectory. "Hey watch it! Watch it!" Preyt yelled as they approached it. "I can't steer around it!" Carter panicked "Then punch through it!" Gage commanded as Gage grabbed onto the ACB "Oh no. OH NOOO!" Carters voice cringed as they all smashed into the large debris. The box smashed through the debris and bursted out the other side sending the box spinning at dangerous speeds right outside the Klot. "Get it under control! Slow it doooown!" Preyt yelled as all the scavengers used their thrusters to slow the spin. Gage relieved that they survived let go and casually floated to the side holding his arms and legs out to relax "Oh fuck lets never do that again" he panted. "A-Agreed" Carter sighed as the three looked back at the debris field they had made as they relaxed there for several minutes catching their breathe. "A-Alright load the box i-into the Klot, and everyone get to the bridge. When everyone's there... we'll discuss getting out of here." Gage said as they weakly pushed the ACB towards the loading bay.